Wide-spread voting machine failures have been reported to the Obama/DNC election protection hotline in Nevada since early voting began more than a week ago in the state, The BRAD BLOG has learned. All voters who vote in person in the crucial battleground state are forced to cast their votes on 100% unverifiable Sequoia EDGE touch-screen voting machines with the VeriVote "paper trail" printer add-on.

Attorneys monitoring the incident reports coming in to the hotline have taken no action in regard to removing the failed machines from service, despite reports of the presidential race not appearing at all on some ballots; voters having problems selecting their preferred candidates; machines not starting up at all; "paper trail" printers jamming or running out of paper, and; a number of machines at a number of sites which refuse to work at all.

And this is just during early voting. A number of those startling reports are posted at the end of this article...

We've been reporting for weeks about the lack of action being taken by the Obama campaign and the DNC in regard to wide-spread voting machine problems across the country (e.g., detailed story on that here, Obama attorney responds here).

We've noted that while Obama/DNC has, this time around at least, compiled a sophisticated "election protection" database in each state, their continuous assertions of "thousands of attorneys on the ground on Election Day if anything goes wrong," is both too little and too late, as well as being precisely what we heard from Kerry/DNC in 2004 before they failed to take appropriate action with failed machines. They then quickly conceded the race just hours after polls in Ohio finally closed.

The Obama/DNC response to wide-spread problems with voting machines failing in state after state has been no better than Kerry/DNC's, in that failed machines have been allowed to stay in service, and their attorneys have not fought for paper ballots for voters instead.

In fact, in Pennsylvania, state Democrats have been fighting against paper ballots. Even after the NAACP successfully sued the state Dems (who were joined for a time during the case by state Republicans) to require them to have some emergency paper ballots on hand, it's become clear that county officials in that crucial battleground state are likely to not have enough paper ballots at polling places for voters in the completely-predictable event of voting machine breakdown. PA also uses 100% unverifiable touch-screen systems across most of the state.

The following reports from the Obama/DNC "Atlas Voter Protection" database in NV, concerning the state's faulty, error-prone, hackable, 100% unverifiable Sequoia touch-screen systems are remarkable. These are the same machines that Sen. Harry Reid (D-NV) recently said voters in his state were "fortunate" to have, during a radio interview in Reno. (3 minute MP3 here.)

The senator was convinced that the "Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail" printed by the machine somehow offered protection for voters, even though the paper trails on such systems often fail and are not properly verified for accuracy by a majority of voters. Moreover, the "paper trails" on these machines can be hacked as well, in such a way that the tampered totals would match the internally tampered numbers, even if officials bothered to count them, which they don't. (See UCSB's video demonstrating how to hack such machines in seconds, in such a way that even a 100% hand-count would be unlikely to reveal the tampering.)

The machines used in Nevada --- and illegally certified there, see the exposé we published in Mark Crispin Miller's Loser Take All on that --- are also the same ones that dropped Oprah's vote when she early voted in Cook County (Chicago), IL, last week.

So read on for just a few of the hundreds of startling reports coming in to the Obama incident report database, including details of machines on which the presidential race is not available at all (as reported by even a GOP poll monitor, according to the incident report!), voters unable to select Obama, and machines which are failing to start up at all in many locations across the state...all before Election Day voting has even begun...

(And see the list at the bottom of this page for steps you can take if you are forced to vote on touch-screen machines and have similar problems with one of them!)

"A GOP poll monitor, Derek, told our poll monitor that he had personally observed on 7 separate occasions the machines fail to show a choice for president. The GOP monitor saw this at Spanish Springs (2 times) and Northwest Library (5 times). Martin Putnam, our poll monitor, received 1 report from a voter about this at Sierra View on 10/18/08."

"ONE OF OUR SENIORS REPORTED THAT WHEN VOTING THIS WEEKEND AT ONE OF THE SMITH'S FOOD KING SUPERMARKET, THERE WAS NO BOX TO VOTE FOR BARACK OBAMA.... AND THE WORKERS COULDN'T CORRECT IT SO SHE DOESN'T KNOW IF HER SELECTIONS WENT THROUGH OR NOT."

"Voter personally had no problem, but voter next to him at voting machines had complained he wanted to vote for obama, but 'it wasn't there'; poll worker assisted, and issue was resolved satisfactorily to voter. Making incident report only in case there's a problem with machine; more likely, voter may have somehow accidentally triggered touch screen."

"Veronika Baumgartner was not able to select a choice for president. She reviewed her printout and did not see a vote for president. She cast her ballot without revising it. It was the second machine from the right."

Machines broken down. For example:

"One machine down--Sequoia called. Team leader told Nancy that machine was down yesterday--they had it fixed and it worked for 1/2 hour today is down again."

"Only 5 of 10 machines up and running at UNR [University of Nevada, Reno]. Poll workers are trying to fix the problem."

"All voting machines down due to team leader error. Estimated delay of 30 minutes to begin voting."

"There is an electrical problem at the Downtown Reno Libarary. 6 out of 11 machines are down."

Voter registration (e-pollbook) problems at several sites. For example:

"Both check-in laptops have gone off-line (internet issue) and no one is being permitted to check-in to vote. Apparently the line hasn't gotten that long yet. Observer will call back in 5 - 10 min to update the situation."

Machines behaving oddly:

"Machine wouldn't let voter edit choices."

"Elizabeth marked her votes on the electronic voting machine at Sun Valleys Library at around 2 pm - on Machine number WC1384. She was directed to review the ballot, which she did. She was then directed to review the ballot on the printout, which she did. Everything seemed to work correctly UNTIL she touched 'CAST YOUR BALLOT'. At that point, instead of casting the ballot the voting machine returned to a page she had seen approximately four screens before that said 'return' or 'continue'. After that she tried to press continue. The screen went blank and her card was ejected. Then the screen looked like it was ready for a newvoter. Elizabeth said her profession has to do with data, so that is why she wrote down the machine number. Also, she said the machine took so long going between the 'wrong' screens that it made her wonder if there was some computing going on - and if that was going to cause some inaccuracy in the electronic recording of her vote on the voting machine data cartridge - even though the printout had looked correct. Elizabeth told the poll worker named Diane H. who remarked that she was aware of the misfunction. After that, Elizabeth went to another polling place, Scolari's Food and Drug at 3310 S. McCarron and asked the voting official if they had noticed anything like that. The official told her something similar had happened at that polling place."

"Voter-Verifiable Paper Audit Trail" (VVPAT) printers failing:

"Machine printer broken, not recording votes. Several voters have voted on machine without being able to verify their paper record."

"As [BH] was voting, experienced machine malfunction --tape did not advance so she could review her own vote, continued to display votes of previous voter (who voted for Obama, which Ms. [H] did not wish to do). Team leader told her the electronic vote had been recorded on the cassette. Machine involved was # 34348."

"Paper roll shortage at UNR. They have told the county. Five machines are down because of lack of paper. All ran out at the same time. Paper is on the way. The line wait is about 30 min. Only 3 or 4 machines are operating. I don't understand why they haven't anticipated this."

"Machine #34124 had a jammed paper receipt. Poll workers unjammed it. Manny, the assistant team leader for Mobile Team #7 stated that the machine vote tally at the time was 295"

"Printer 411 on machine 34319 stopped working after first vote so printer was switched to printer 424."

"Printer on voting machine #34241 was replaced at 4:00 pm. Team leader Carol told our PM that it was jammed. Vote tally was aprpoximately 560 at the time"

"Voting machine had to have printer replaced. Machine was down 10 minutes."

(Thanks to Ellen Theisen of VotersUnite.org for crucial help in compiling data for this report.)

The BRAD BLOG covers your electoral system, fiercely and independently, like no other media outlet in the nation. Please support our work with a donation to help us keep going. If you like, we'll send you some great election integrity documentary films in return. Details on that right here...

Years of fury, outrage & mounting evidence... and still, none of it seems to penetrate this granite wall of inaction.
Obama's grandmother passed away today. Maybe it's a blessing...if tomorrow's outcome follows the pattern of these last few years..that she won't have to suffer through it.
Rest in peace, Madelyn.

Well I offer my condolences, I lost my Dad lately... but as this game goes... so goes the nation? Even with a STEELER WIN, I'm more for CLEAN ELECTIONS! Shit, this aint about sports, but running a country!
From STEELER COUNTRY.

The repebulicans should not be allowed to steal this election. Why are the Obama lawyers not doing anything about it/ They stole the election in 2000, and 2004 and the country and all of us citzens has paid for their cheating. WE CANNOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN THIS TIME

It appears that they are hitting this from another angle (litigation wise), It seems it's for going after the EVM manufacturers for a refund. I wonder how many more election cycles we have to go through before enough evidence is compiled?

Only an attorney would think of sending out a flock of attorneys to monitor what is basically a technology problem. After all, NASCAR teams use attorneys as pit crews and car builders. What a bunch of wankers.

I think that they should have at least one technogeek for every two attorneys. Better yet, team a technogeek with each attorney so they have a legal expert and a tech expert working together.

Of course, they seem to believe that there is no problem with the EVMs. Apparently they didn't the executive summaries of the OH EVEREST and the CA TTBR.

What a bunch of dumbasses.

So far, all they have accomplished is to gather data showing what we already knew --- EVMs are unfit for purpose.

Think we could file a suit on behalf of American voters everywhere? Or would the Republicans bring on another Brooks Brothers riot this time, too? They don't seem to care about OUR votes, only that "their team" wins. This is beyond comprehension. I am beginning to feel physically ill.

How is it, that as the world looks upon the United States not just for a president to raise up the US upon the international stage, but also set the tone of democratic elections in the world, that we demonstrate how completely incompetent our officials really are?

how can iraq look favorably on democratic elections if we cannot even get our technology straight to provide fair, clean elections to our population.

we are just a bunch of hacks in this country if we can't get our election system fixed.

On 12-13-2000, I was sick at my stomache. I knew for a fact Bush stold the election. I made a huge
sign hat said " ONE NATION UNDER FRAUD " and a grave stone that said USA RIP.

I had hope this last month that my country was coming back.....I was getting happy again.......
But now ...I am sick at my stomache again
because I think the fraud continues and NO ONE
is stopping it.....

PLEASE DEMOS PAY ATTENTION......STOP THE FRAUD
GIVE A SHIT ABOUT ME.........ABOUT US......
BECAUSE WE STILL GIVE A SHIT ABOUT YOU......
FIGHT FOR ME AND MY VOTE.......PLEASE

Carol's right, No matter what the outcome this cycle, the problem is the method and no party seems inclined to change that. I'd sign on in a heartbeat and donate some money for legal fees. This is bullshit.

It's a mess the legislators flatly refuse to clean up themselves, so we must see to it that they make the needed changes. And we'll have widespread support... despite claims to the country.

Out away from the big cities, in a small town in Indiana a bit off of I-70, I stood in line in the cool morning air... and hunched... and kneeled... whatever worked at the time. A long line of 20+ people stretching out the door of the volunteer fire station was the first time anyone had seen a line at this polling place. They knew each other of course, and chatted... and I learned things that I did not know about my neighbors even though I'd been voting since I moved out here.

The machines (DRE's) were delayed in starting up and the mostly-older people chatted about that, and about the various subtle ways the machines could be set to throw off the election without triggering alarms. The weighted counts, the party shifts at certain voting boundaries just short of signaling a flip ... they knew.

It turns out that these aging salt-of-the-earth country folks, people who Hilliary and then McCaine had both claimed as part of their base, these folks have seen endless games played with weights and measures in their lives and had firsthand experience with how electronics can be used to subtly rig counts.

They knew

And still they voted... as I voted, knowing the truth and determined to take the chance anyway.

And they spoke obliquely, to be polite, in coded phrases about who they were going to vote for or had voted for. They knew what a mess the country has been led into, and they spoke of what qualities would be needed by those who will undertake the repair jobs. They spoke in coded phrases... but not the phrases McCaine hoped they would be using.

And they voted.

And I mused to myself "If it's that way here then McCaine is much worse off than anyone had previously thought"...

And best news of all: despite the elitest stylings of Rush Holt, the local folk are not too "uneducated" to understand what the election integrity movement is all about... they just have been cynically wondering where the hell their would-be rescuers among the legislature have gotten off to...

Brad, I understand and feel your frustration with the Obama camp regarding their inaction on election fraud issues. It makes me angrier than I know how to express. However, I've spent over 15 years as a community organizer/lobbyist/non profit slave and I think I understand why the Obama & Co. is taking this position.

Anger will only motivate a small percentage of the average population to action. You cannot paint a picture so glum, so overwhelming, so hopeless and then ask Josephine Q Public to go make a difference. (Just ask the Frameworks Institute) You have to offer hope, offer a solution. You can't whine or cry about it. You get the people on board in overwhelming numbers. You show them they are not alone. Show them some success. Give them some confidence. And then you go kick ass.

My personal plan is to put him office and give him a short amount of time and then raise 10 different kinds of hell until our electoral process is changed.

There's got to be a lot of hell raised after this mess. Last time there were only a few brave souls like Brad carrying the news. Now it seems every paper and online news outlets are carrying it forward.

Thank you Brad for keeping the fire alive! Now we must carry it forward and do something about it in the next year so Brad & the rest of us can finally get some rest.

#17 & 18
Scarlet & Kira,
Yes yes yes! I keep swinging on this pendulum, back & forth...hope, fear, hope, fear...
I know I'm not alone...and I have to hope you're both right!
Good to see you here again, Kira!
~Joan xxx

So typical. Couldn't use the courts to steal the last 2 elections. Cried wolf about paper ballots now doing the same with elecronics. The reason they aren't doing anything now is so they can try to use it in the courts again after the election.

It's sad to be so hungry for power to resort to this. Registering fraudulent voters, the Dems have been doing this for years and years because they can't win legit.